It seems like spring is taking its time and we are having heavy rains all day long. On such days I just want cozy food and litres of hot tea. What’s cozier than a beautiful Shepherd’s Pie with caramelized onion and pumpkin? The flavor and comfort it provides are worth all that extra time spent in the kitchen.
🍽 Serves 4-5
🕘 1h
Ingredients
2 Tbsp vegan butter (I used Olivani)
1.5 kg of onions (I used red and brown)
3 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp rosemary (I used fresh but dried is ok as well)
1 tsp dried thyme
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp Italian red wine vinegar
3 cups of chopped pumpkin
1 ½ cups of brown lentils (well rinsed)
5 cups of vegetable stock
2-3 bay leaves
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce (make sure it’s vegan)
3 Tbsp soy sauce
Salt, pepper to taste
Mashed potatoes:
1 ½ kg of potatoes
1/3 cup of vegan butter
½ cup of plant-based milk
Approx. ½ tsp of salt (or more)
Instructions
Prepare all the ingredients. Slice the onions into half-moons, mince the garlic, chop pumpkin into 0.5cm cubes.
Heat a large saucepan to medium, melt vegan butter. Add onion. Stir and leave to fry for 4-5 min on medium-high heat, until golden brown. Lower the heat to medium-low and let the onions cook. Add water if needed. This should take about 45 min.
Add garlic, rosemary and thyme to the centre of the pan and fry until fragrant – approx. 2-3 min. Add tomato paste and mix well.
Add pumpkin, mix well and fry for 3 min on medium heat. Add lentils, vegetable stock and place bay leaves. Stir until well combined. Bring to boil. Simmer for 25 min (until the lentils and pumpkin are almost done).
In the meantime, cook the potatoes in salty water.
Once the lentils are almost fully cooked, add Worcestershire sauce, Italian red wine vinegar and soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to simmer to let the flavours combine.
Preheat the oven to 180’C and prepare mashed potatoes: Drain cooked potatoes and in the same pot, add vegan butter, plant-based milk, salt and pepper. Mash until smooth.
In an oven dish, evenly spread the lentil mix and cover it with mashed potatoes.
Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Enjoy!
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